Retreat or Advance?
by forensicsfan
Summary: COMPLETE NS It was supposed to be a team building weekend, a retreat of sorts...
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them, but as always, I'd buy if George and Jorja had time for coffee.

**Author's Note:** This isa work in progress, so you'll have to be patient for the updates...real life is a little crazy right now.

* * *

It was supposed to be a retreat of sorts, one of those outings in some 'natural setting' that was supposed to foster togetherness and help with bonding. In reality, it was a weekend filled with group 'team building' exercises and those strange quizzes that told you if you were a duck or a golden retriever. In short, Grissom thought that it was a waste of time. 

The dayshift crew, being the largest of the three shifts of CSIs had attended the retreat the weekend before and now it was the turn of the swing and night shifts. That alone had built a bit of tension between Catherine and just about everyone else. The fact that her shift hadn't gotten their own weekend she took as another example of getting her toes stepped on. Grissom had taken it in stride and had just shrugged his shoulders. Despite the 'touchy feely' nature of the whole thing, the food was excellent and he was getting a chance to catch up on some sleep despite several open cases that were gnawing at him.

Sara was giving some serious consideration to taking up smoking just for an excuse to go outside every so often. The whole experience was grating on her nerves and at the moment, so was Greg. He had been dropping not so subtle hints that she could drop by his room later for a good time. Of course the fact that he was sharing that room with another rookie CSI that had just started working the swing shift just added to her irritation with him.

At the moment she was outside on a deck just outside the main meeting room they'd been in most of the day. It was fairly late and she was enjoying the blanket of darkness as she sat in a lounge chair and looked up at the stars, which she could rarely see in Vegas because of the lights from the Strip.

She was startled by the creak of a door opening onto the deck thinking that maybe Greg had managed to track her down, but she let out a sigh of relief when she realized that it was only Nick. A smile stole over her face as she watched him walk over and rest his forearms on the railing, seemingly unaware that she was there. "Nice night, huh?"

Nick jumped, obviously thinking that he had been alone. "Sara, you near about gave me a heart attack." He turned towards her voice and appeared to be breathing a bit heavily. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could make her out sitting just a few feet from him.

"Sorry." She looked apologetic, but amused all at the same time.

"I suppose I shouldn't have assumed I'd be alone out here." He commented.

"Why are you out here? I would have thought you'd be sleeping by now." Sara replied.

"Might think you don't want my company." He smirked at her and took the chair next to her.

She smirked back. "I think you know me a little better than that. I just know that you looked pretty tired earlier."

Nick let out a sigh. "I am tired." He turned towards her and spoke in a conspiratorial tone. "But my room isn't exactly conducive for sleeping at the moment."

"Does Warrick snore or something?" She looked at him quizzically.

All of the rooms were pretty much the same and she knew that Nick could usually fall asleep just about anywhere; he'd done it a number of times in the middle of the break room.

Nick leaned a little closer and whispered. "No. But he's got a little company and I don't think she's leaving any time soon." He quirked an eyebrow at her as he settled himself back in his chair.

Sara's eyes widened. "Who?" She didn't realize that Warrick was seeing anyone, and she was sure she would have noticed if an extra person had shown up at the retreat lodge.

Nick didn't answer her question; he just simply arched both brows. "Have you seen your roommate lately?"

"What?" Sara looked at him quizzically for a moment before the pieces began to slide together. Her eyes widened. "No."

Nick nodded. "Yes."

Sara was sharing a room with Catherine, an idea that she was not overly thrilled about to say the least, but outside of the mandatory sessions, she hadn't seen her very much at all. "You're sure." She couldn't quite get her mind wrapped around Catherine and Warrick together.

"Very sure." Nick remarked. "In fact I'm so sure, that there's not a chance in hell I'm going back in that room tonight. I've resigned myself to sleeping out here." It was then that Sara noticed that he'd brought a blanket with him.

Sara looked at him intently. "How long has this been going on?" It seemed that splitting the nightshift up hadn't been bad for everyone.

"A while." Nick let out another sigh and leaned his head back on the chair. "I don't think that they know that I know." He let out a chuckle. "Well outside of what I walked in on anyway, I don't think they realize that I know they've been together for a while."

"Wow." Sara didn't know what else to say.

"It certainly makes work a little interesting." Nick commented with a chuckle.

"Wow." Sara just shook her head.

Nick snorted out a laugh. "Look, Sara, it's not really all that surprising. They've known each other for years and quite frankly it's about time someone around here did something with their feelings."

"Oh, Greg's doing plenty." Sara quipped. "Why do you think I'm hiding out here? He's been calling my room asking me if I want to come over and have a good time with him and what's his name."

"Greg just knows a good thing when he sees it, Sara." Nick was amused at how annoyed Sara seemed to be because of Greg's relentless flirting. "I also think that Matt is driving him a little nuts." Nick let out a yawn and glanced over at Sara. "Are you planning on staying out here for a while?"

"Yeah, why?" Sara looked at him a bit quizzically.

"Well I was kind of hoping I could talk you out of that chaise lounge." He gave her a hopeful smile.

She smirked. "I'll share if you share." She pointed at the blanket he was holding.

Nick quirked an eyebrow. "You think we're both gonna fit on that thing?" His comment was partially disbelief that she was even suggesting the idea and partially doubt that they'd both fit without some serious personal contact.

She deadpanned. "I think a linebacker could fit on this thing with room to spare and I don't think either of us fit that category."

Nick was giving serious consideration to her offer.

"Besides, it's getting a little chilly and I don't really want to go back to my room for an encore of Greg's phone calls." She had a furrowed brow and pouty lips.

Nick caved. "Alright, but don't get mad at me if things get awkward."

"Why would they get awkward?" Sara looked at him in challenge.

"I'm just saying." Nick raised his hands in surrender before settling himself on the chaise lounge next to her and spreading the blanket over them.

To his surprise, Sara immediately snuggled against him and rested her head against his shoulder. "You're warm."

"You're cold." Nick found that the only comfortable place to put his arms were around Sara because of how she'd positioned herself, and he found that he didn't mind it one bit as he inhaled the scent of her hair; she smelled faintly of lavender and something else he couldn't  
quite identify.

Neither one of them said anything for a very long time; instead they were enjoying how quiet the night was and how beautiful the sky was. Neither one of them would probably admit that they were also enjoying their proximity to each other.

Sara let out a deeply contented sigh. "This is nice."

Nick let out a sleepy yawn. "Yeah, it is." He was half asleep and had a smile on his face as he felt Sara slid an arm across his waist and snuggle a little closer.

Sara could tell by the steady rise and fall of his chest that he was asleep and the gentle rhythm of his breathing lulled her to sleep as well.


	2. Chapter 2

It was somewhere in the middle of the night when Nick woke to the sound of Sara mumbling in her sleep, or at least he assumed she was sleeping.

"Nicky...so nice." Her mumbling alone might not have woken him up if she hadn't been moving around so much trying to get warm. It had gotten chillier outside and it was apparent from the lack of lights from inside the lodge that everyone else had gone to bed.

Perhaps it was his sleepy state and perhaps it was the way she was saying his name, but in either case, Nick couldn't seem to resist kissing Sara's forehead and holding her a little bit closer; another kiss on her cheek, one against her hair, and one dangerously close to her mouth before he pulled back a little.

Sara wasn't really slumbering any more. Her dream had seemed to morph into reality as her eyes fluttered open at the sensation of Nick's lips against her face. She slid her hand up and cupped the back of his head; the only thing on her mind was that she wanted to kiss him.

If Nick had been sleepy before, he was wide awake the moment that Sara's lips touched his and he quickly responded to her kiss. Suddenly the only thing he wanted was to memorize the taste and feel of her lips while his tongue explored every nook and cranny of her mouth; Sara seemed intent on the same purpose.

By the time they pulled apart several minutes later, they were both breathless and a little flustered from what had just transpired. Sara finally spoke. "Was that what you meant by things getting awkward?" Her voice was breathy and a bit husky.

Nick let out a soft chuckle. "Something like that." He wasn't sure if she was ok with what had just happened or if she was going to be upset with him for responding to her kiss.

Sara cleared her throat a bit nervously. "That didn't really feel that awkward to me…I don't know about you…I kind of enjoyed that." She wasn't sure where her boldness was coming from; perhaps the darkness of the night gave her a false sense of security.

"Yeah, me too." Nick was giving serious consideration to kissing her again, her close proximity making it difficult to think about what the consequences of their actions would be come morning.

Sara was finding it quite natural to just mold herself against Nick's body as her fingers toyed with the collar of his t-shirt. "You know, it's cold out here." Snuggling up to Nick certainly made things quite a bit warmer, but the thought occurred to her that she had a perfectly good room, with perfectly good heat going to waste since from what Nick had said earlier Catherine seemed to be occupying the room Nick was sharing with Warrick.

Nick was feeling a bit bolder and he pulled Sara closer enjoying the feel of her body pressed against his. "Did you have something in mind to warm up?" He had a few ideas of his own, but wasn't sure he should suggest them after one kiss.

"I might." Sara wasn't really thinking rationally, if she had been, she wouldn't have slid her arms around Nick's neck and pulled herself astride his lap as she pressed her lips to his in a fiery kiss. All her inhibition seemed to have flown off to the moon as she made it abundantly clear in which manner she wanted to warm up.

For a moment, Nick wasn't sure he wasn't dreaming. He'd been attracted to Sara for nearly as long as he'd known her, but he never thought he might actually have a chance with her, and from the way she was pressing herself against him, it looked like that was exactly what he was getting. He returned the kiss with equal fervor, and he found his hands drifting down to grip her ass through the jeans she was wearing.

Sara broke the kiss and whispered huskily. "My room is empty." She had every intention of letting this go wherever Nick wanted it to, but she didn't really think that the chaise lounge was the place she wanted it to happen.

Nick floundered for a fraction of a second as what she was suggesting registered in his mind. "Ok." He needed no further encouragement, because the more he kissed her, the more he wanted her.

Sara reluctantly pulled herself off of his lap and gathered the blanket around herself as she climbed off of the chaise lounge. She offered Nick her hand and found that she had a sudden flurry of nerves as he stood next to her. She'd always thought he was attractive, but she hadn't ever considered that he might be attracted to her. There was no mistaking that attraction in his kiss.

Neither one of them said anything as they quietly stole back into the lodge and headed towards Sara's room. As soon as they closed the door to her room behind them a wave of nerves hit them both. Kissing was one thing, but sex would change everything.

Sara started to babble nervously. "So…uh…there are two beds…unless Catherine comes back…so maybe we should share…unless you're not tired." She stared at him wide-eyed hoping that he didn't regret the kisses they'd shared and that he didn't think she was being too forward.

"I'm not really tired anymore." Nick stepped towards her, searching her eyes to see if this was what she really wanted. He knew what he wanted, but he didn't want her having regrets in the morning. "But I still think we should share…but I don't think Catherine is going to be coming back tonight."

Sara smirked. "I guess she probably won't…" She cleared her throat a bit nervously as Nick took another step towards her and rested his hands on her hips. "So maybe we should talk…" Talking was really the last thing on her mind.

Nick shook his head. "Talking is overrated." He smiled at her as he leaned in and softly kissed her before pulling back to check her reaction.

"Mmmn." Sara murmured as she looked up into his eyes. "More." She cupped the back of his head and pulled him into another kiss.

That was all the encouragement Nick needed as he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her flush against his body. He was so caught up in the kiss that he didn't realize that Sara was moving them backwards until he found himself falling onto the bed tangled up in her arms. They continued kissing as they scooted up the bed, neither one of them particularly interested in discussing just where this was headed. Nick's hand began to creep up the front of Sara's shirt and he'd nudged one of his legs in between hers as Sara just pulled him closer.

Neither one of them heard the door to the room open until the voice of Catherine Willows interrupted the passionate kiss they were sharing. "I take it I came at a bad time."

Nick and Sara sprang apart, not quite sure how to respond to Catherine's comment and based on the amused smirk on her face, they weren't quite sure what to say anyway. Nick cleared his throat. "Uh, hey, Cath…you look a lot more…uh, clothed than the last time I saw you…" he smirked back at her in an attempt to lighten the moment.

Sara was feeling flustered and incredibly aroused and she wasn't sure whether to be embarrassed at being walked in on, thankful that they were still clothed, or irritated at being interrupted.

Catherine quirked a brow at Nick and Sara. "I could leave…"

"Uh, no…" Sara interjected. "Uh, we were just..." It was obvious what they were doing, but she felt like the moment had been broken. Besides, if she and Nick were going to be together, she didn't need the whole world knowing about it, or at least the moment it was happening.

"Sara, you don't need to explain it to me. I can just find somewhere else to sleep if you two want to be alone." Catherine couldn't help but smile at the pair, who had still made no move to get off the bed.

A thought occurred to Nick and he regarded his supervisor curiously. "Uh, just why aren't you with Warrick?"

Catherine crossed her arms over her chest and smirked. "Grissom knocked on the door and wanted to talk to him about something…Warrick suggested they go for a walk because he said you were sleeping and I decided I'd better leave in case they came back."

Sara let out a frustrated sigh, garnering a glance from both Nick and Catherine. "Sorry, it's just if Nick is supposed to be asleep in his room and Grissom comes back…"

"I should go…" Nick interjected reluctantly. He really did not want to leave, but he really didn't want an audience either. He reasoned that there was plenty of time left in the weekend to be with Sara, or worse case scenario, after this retreat was over maybe he'd have time to advance.


	3. Chapter 3

"What was so damn important that Grissom had to drag you out of your room at three in the morning?" Nick flicked the light on as Warrick shut the door to the room they were sharing. To say he was frustrated at the way the night had turned out was an understatement.

Warrick looked at him quizzically, wondering where Catherine had gone and how exactly Nick knew where he'd been. "He wanted advice about women."

Nick snorted. "Grissom?" It wasn't that he didn't believe Warrick, it was just that Gil Grissom wasn't exactly the guy that went asking his subordinates for sex advice.

Warrick quirked an eyebrow. "Not _that_ kind of advice about women; he's concerned that since Catherine's promotion that their friendship has suffered and he's not sure what to do about it."

"_That's_ a relief." Nick was glad that Grissom wasn't suddenly getting his act together to finally pursue Sara; after their encounter he wanted to be the only one pursuing Sara. At the moment he was a very frustrated man in more ways than one.

"Why's that?" Warrick knew Nick well enough to know that something was up.

"Ah, nothing, man." Nick wasn't sure he should be sharing anything about what happened between him and Sara; but then again, Catherine had walked in on them and chances were that Warrick would find out soon enough anyway.

Warrick eyed him curiously. "Just where have you been since…earlier anyway?" It occurred to him that maybe, just maybe, Nick had _finally_ made a move on one Miss Sara Sidle and that somehow Catherine had discovered them.

Nick couldn't quite contain his smug smile as he laced his fingers behind his head. "With Sara." The memory of the way she kissed him and the feel of her body pressed against his caused his smile to widen.

"Sara." Warrick's tone was dry and doubtful.

Nick narrowed his gaze at his friend. "Yes, and I'd still be with her if Catherine hadn't interrupted us." He had half a mind to give Gil Grissom a piece of his mind, but then he'd have to tell him why and he really didn't think that Sara wanted that sort of information getting back to him.

Warrick let out a deep throaty chuckle. "I didn't think you had it in you man. I thought you'd just keep whining about it."

"Well I didn't have anywhere else to sleep." Nick retorted.

"And so you just knocked on her door and asked her if you could sleep with her." Warrick looked at him skeptically.

Nick smirked. "Not exactly. We fell asleep out on the deck and it started getting cold so she suggested we go back to her room."

One of Warrick's eyebrows arched upwards. "What exactly did Catherine _interrupt_?" He was rather protective of Sara and he wanted to make damn sure Nick didn't do anything to take advantage of her.

Nick snorted out a laugh. "Nowhere close to the eight seconds you and Catherine were trying to beat." The images of what he'd walked in on earlier that night was indelibly burned into his memory whether he wanted it there or not.

Warrick just stood there staring Nick down not particularly amused by the rodeo metaphor.

Nick got back to Warrick's question. "Just enough to be frustrating…I believe it's called foreplay." He harrumphed and grabbed a pillow, beating on it in attempt to fluff it up a bit.

Warrick snickered. "Hey, I'm not helping you out…" He couldn't resist teasing his friend.

Nick regarded him warily, not missing a beat. "And I wouldn't ask." With that he rolled over and tried to go to sleep, hoping that Warrick would just let it drop so that if the raging fire in his loins didn't simmer down soon that he could get up and relieve some of the tension in the privacy of the bathroom.

Morning came far too soon and the little sleep that Nick got did him no favors. He was still incredibly frustrated and all he could think about was Sara, so as he stood out on the deck drinking a cup of coffee in the early morning light, he was a bit startled when he heard someone speak.

"Someone looks tired." Sara moved to stand next to him near the railing of the deck. She had a cup of coffee in her hand as well and she looked as if she'd gotten about as little sleep as Nick did.

"Yeah, well, I had a lot on my mind…" Nick smiled at her wondering what she was thinking and wanting very badly to kiss her.

"Me too." Sara confessed. After Nick had left, Catherine had started quizzing her on how what she'd walked in on had transpired. Frustrated, Sara had shared a few choice words instead and had rolled over to try and go to sleep. She wasn't really sure if she'd even gone to sleep. All she could think about was Nick.

"You know the first session doesn't start for a little while…" Nick knew he was reaching, both Catherine and Warrick were still in their respective rooms and it wasn't like there was any other place in the lodge that offered any privacy.

Sara was a little taken aback. "Nick." She glanced around to make sure that they were alone and then lowered her voice as she spoke. "We are not going to have sex." Her tone was a bit more forceful than she'd intended.

Nick was a little thrown. She had made her intention clear last night and now he was wondering if she was having second thoughts and so he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Right now...or ever?"

"Uh…now." Sara was flustered and the thought occurred to her that although she knew that she wanted more than just sex from whatever was happening between them, she didn't really know what Nick wanted. "…ever…I don't know." Her brow was furrowed as she watched disappointment flicker across Nick's face.

"So last night…" Nick's words trailed off as he waited for her to explain a little further.

"Last night neither one of us was thinking very clearly." Sara began, not sure how to explain what she was feeling.

"So it was a mistake then." Nick was jumping to conclusions but he wasn't sure how else to take what she was telling him.

"I didn't say that." Sara protested. "I…I…it's just that I…"

Nick didn't give her a chance to finish her thoughts; he reasoned that if she was going to reject him, he would just make it easy on her. "Look, I think I understand…it was dark, we were cold…you don't have to let me down easy."

"It's not like that." Sara was quickly becoming frustrated because it seemed that he was misinterpreting what she was saying.

Nick wasn't really listening to her; he was wrapped up in his own insecurities. "Because I can handle it…"

Sara cut his words off with a kiss. As she pulled back she smirked at the expression on his face. "Would you shut up long enough to let me finish?"

Nick smiled sheepishly. "Sorry."

She gathered her thoughts and continued. "What I was trying to say was…it's just that I want to make sure that whatever _this_ is that it's not just about sex." She looked at him expectantly, nervously nibbling at her lower lip.

A grin broke out on Nick's face and he whispered to her earnestly as he reached over and caressed her cheek. "That would just be the icing on the cake. Can't you see how crazy I am about you?"


	4. Chapter 4

Sara was momentarily speechless at Nick's confession. Despite all of the flirting they'd done over the years they'd known each other she really had no idea until the previous night that he'd been remotely interested in her as anything other than a friend and the idea that he was crazy about her threw her for a loop even in light of how she was feeling towards him. The idea was both scary and exciting and she wasn't really sure how to react. At the moment she wasn't exactly sure how deep her own feelings went. Last night was certainly exciting, but part of her was glad that they hadn't slept together. In the light of day everything was far more complicated and she just wanted to make sure they were on the same page before they let themselves get carried away. The thought that she wanted to get carried away with Nick brought a smile to her face.

"Did I say too much?" Nick was immediately afraid that the confession that was supposed to reassure her had had the opposite effect instead.

Sara's eyes snapped to his. "Uh, no…I just…wow. I'm not sure what to say, Nick." She hadn't really thought when she'd kissed him last night how that would really affect their friendship and what the implications were for going beyond that boundary.

Nick felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Sara reached out and touched his arm a smile beginning to pull at the corners of her mouth. "Hey, don't jump to conclusions...I just think we need to talk a little before we ice that cake of yours."

"So, you're not turning me down then..." He just wanted to clarify as he tried to fight the insecurity welling up.

"I guess I just want to know, what I need to know is what's happening between us." Her expression was earnest. "I think it's obvious that we're attracted to each other." Her lips turned into a smile again as she remembered the passionate kiss that would have undoubtedly been much more had Catherine not walked in on them. "It's just more complicated because we work together...and we're friends."

Nick's voice was slightly husky as he spoke. "You know sometimes friends make the best lovers." His eyes were full of meaning and he was tempted to just kiss her, but he hesitated because he heard the sound of people beginning to mill around inside the lodge.

"I don't want to have to sneak around like Catherine and Warrick..." Her eyes pleaded with his. If they were going to do this, it was not going to be a secret and they were going to have to take whatever consequences went with dating a coworker, whether or not their was a written policy about it. As it stood right now, it was just frowned on.

Nick reached over and tucked a stubborn curl behind her ear. "I don't want to either." He smiled at her. "I'd be proud for the world to know that you and I are together." Suddenly, he didn't want to resist temptation any longer and so he leaned over and softly kissed her.

The feel of his lips against her momentarily short circuited the logical part of Sara's brain. While she didn't want to hide what was happening between her and Nick from the rest of the team, she didn't necessarily want them to have a front row seat either. Sara pulled away from him reluctantly, not doing a very good job at keeping her smile at bay. "We should probably go inside; we still have an entire day of teambuilding to get through...and I think other people are starting to get up...I think this is going to have to wait until a little later."

"You know I could talk to Catherine and Warrick...I'm sure they wouldn't mind sharing a room..." He looked at her expectantly hoping that they would have time to explore things between them a little more.

Sara smirked and fingered the collar on his shirt. "Let's play it by ear...I just want it to happen when it's going to happen..."

He smirked back. "Well, if I talk to them...if we want it to happen, it can happen...otherwise we might just have a repeat of last night." Nick wished at that moment that they could skip the teambuilding exercises and that he and Sara could just spend time together.

Sara had a mischievous look on her face. "You may have a point."

"So I'll talk to them?" Nick looked at her hopefully.

Sara considered his words for a moment. "Uh, yeah, sure." Something occurred to her that there was one little issue they needed to address before they got caught up in the heat of the moment. "Nick...?"

"Yeah?" He noticed the more serious expression on her face and he furrowed his brow.

"Before we..." Suddenly Sara felt awkward discussing something in such a clinical manner with Nick and she started to fumble with her words. "It's just that before...I need to tell you...if you don't have...uh, it's ok if you don't...what I'm trying to say is..." She smiled and took a deep breath before continuing. "I'm on birth control so if you don't have anything..."

Nick smiled at her and quickly leaned in to kiss her again. As he pulled back, he whispered. "I would have made sure I had something..." He kissed her again, completely blocking out the fact that their colleagues were starting to gather inside the main room of the lodge for the first session.

Sara really didn't care at that moment if anyone walked out and saw them standing there kissing each other as if it was the last time they'd ever get the chance. In most of her life she tended to overanalyze things, but when it came to her love life, she tended to jump in with both feet and damn the consequences. That had led to years wasted fixating on Grissom, and a huge mistake with Hank, but she reasoned that without a great risk, she was never going to find a great love.

Several moments later they pulled apart, both of them smiling. Neither one of them had heard the door to the lodge open up until they heard someone clearing their throat.

"I guess I just have bad timing this weekend." Catherine stood there with an amused smirk on her face. "I just wanted to let you know that we're about to get started...unless of course you'd rather stay out here and get caught."

Nick smirked back. "We don't plan on hiding it."

Catherine arched a single brow at the pair, crossing her arms over her chest in interest. "You mean you want everyone to know that you're seeing each other." She considered her own situation with Warrick, knowing that if anyone in authority found out about it she could face disciplinary action and be demoted for dating a direct subordinate. At least Nick and Sara were at the same level.

"Yeah, we don't have anything to hide." Sara didn't mean for her comment to sound like she was pointing fingers at Catherine, but after the words were out she wondered if that's how it was taken. "I didn't mean..."

"You don't need to say anything, Sara." Catherine knew that she'd put herself in the situation she was in and she wasn't going to begrudge her friends' happiness because of it.

Nick's fingers were laced with Sara's as they stepped away from the railing, leaving their coffee cups still sitting there. He quirked an eyebrow at Catherine. "You know your secret's safe with us."

Catherine smiled appreciatively. "About that..." An idea was forming in her mind and a mischievous look flickered across her face. "After last night I was thinking that maybe we should do a little roommate swap..."

Nick glanced at Sara momentarily and then smiled conspiratorially at Catherine. "Funny thing...we sort of had the same idea."


	5. Chapter 5

The moderator for the workshop seemed to drone on and on and it was all Nick could do to keep from nodding off given that he'd had very little sleep the night before. He was doing his best to keep the most thoughtful expression on his face as he feigned attention, trying to doodle in his workbook something that resembled taking notes. How the LVPD thought this was a good idea he wasn't sure. For something that was supposed to work on teambuilding, it felt a lot more like those lectures in some of his freshman classes in college. He glanced over at Sara, curious as to how she could be so alert, given that she'd told him that she didn't get much sleep either. She seemed to be writing furiously in her workbook and Nick ventured a closer look.

Sara noticed Nick looking at her notes and she cast him a mischievous glance as she continued to write.

Nick arched his brows and almost snorted out a laugh, stifling it at the last minute under the guise of a sneeze or a cough. "I'm good." He mumble as everyone turned his direction. After another moment when everyone had turned their attention more or less back to the moderator, he glanced over at what Sara was writing again.

_I bet Warrick and Catherine could show him a thing or two about teambuilding, especially if they gave a demonstration._

Nick had to stifle another laugh; the thing was Catherine probably wouldn't mind if someone walked in on her and Warrick if it didn't mean she'd lose her status as supervisor as a result of it.

_Of course our teambuilding skills could use a little work, seeing as how we work different shifts now. Maybe we could go over a few things during lunch._

Nick had a smirk on his face, the idea of going over anything to do with Sara sounded like a good idea, and since lunch was an hour long who knew just how much she wanted to cover, or maybe uncover. It was impossible for him not to let his thoughts slide right into the gutter. The way she kept glancing over at him with that coy little expression was causing very dirty thoughts to enter his mind of all the things he'd like to do to her.

_Did you have anything in mind that you'd like to review?_

Nick stifled another cough, Sara knew exactly what she was doing and if she kept it up, he just might have to take drastic action.

_Oh, so you do._

The smirk on her face was absolutely priceless and then she arched a single brow at him, garnering a look from him that could ignite ice. The heat he felt coursing through his body was having an effect on him that he really didn't want to have in public; he wanted Sara and if anyone had bothered to look in their direction they would have been startled at just how much was being communicated in those glances they were sharing.

Nick tried to focus on what the moderator was saying, but having not paid attention for a good while, he had no idea what the guy was talking about.

"So then, the golden retriever really shouldn't ever play fetch with the otter." The look on the man's face was utterly serious.

Catherine could have gotten an academy award for how well she seemed to be paying attention when Nick was for damn certain that she'd much rather be going for another eight seconds with Warrick. He snorted out a laugh at his rodeo metaphor again, doing his best to cover it up with a cough as Grissom glanced over his shoulder, giving Nick a stern look that clearly communicated that if he had to sit through it, they all had to sit through it. Nick smiled back a bit sheepishly, and then when Warrick glanced at him with a knowing look, he almost lost it again.

"Now might be a good time to take a break for lunch." The speaker intoned with the same monotone voice that he'd been speaking in for the entire retreat. He gave Nick a sharp glance intending to let him know he didn't appreciate the interruptions.

As Sara glanced over at Nick again, she was surprised that he didn't bolt from his chair, until she noticed that he was holding his workbook strategically over his crotch. Her voice was almost a purr as she leaned over and whispered into his ear. "I need to go up to my room for something..." She arched her brows at him and then stood up and sauntered towards the door, glancing over her shoulder at him to see if he picked up on what she was suggesting.

Nick didn't get out of the main room all that easily. Greg tried to intercept him momentarily and it wasn't until he said that he had some digestive issues he needed to take care of that Greg finally let him go. As quickly as he could without arousing suspicion, he made his way up to Sara's room, softly knocking on the door.

Sara smiled at him a bit seductively as she opened the door. "You feeling ok?" She knew quite well that he was feeling perfectly fine, except for the extra snug feeling of his jeans.

Nick closed the door behind him and regarded Sara a bit predatorily, arching his brows as a mischievous smile flitted across his face. "Someone wasn't playing fair during the lecture. Now what would Mr. Monotone say about that, Sar?"

Sara was doing her best not to giggle as she felt Nick slide his arms around her waist. "I'm sure if he reviewed my notes he'd find that they were perfectly fair. He'd probably agree that working on our teambuilding skills during lunch would be a good use of our time, what with you being so distracting during that last session."

Nick snorted out a laugh. "Me being distracting? I was only reacting to your 'notes' as you put it." He was grinning at her not at all upset with her for the double meaning in the words she'd written down.

Sara slid her arms up his chest and snaked them around his neck. "Well _I _was distracted anyway." A coy smile spread across her face.

"Ok, so maybe I was a _little_ distracted." Nick confessed to Sara's amusement. "And I _suppose_ I _could_ use a _little_ extra work on my teambuilding skills. I'm sure we could always eat later."

"That's very prudent of you, Mr. Stokes." Sara did her best to imitate the voice of the moderator, not at all able to stifle a smile.

"You're still pretty distracting." Nick's voice was husky as his lips hovered just a fraction of an inch from hers and he tightened his arms around her, pulling her flush against his body.

"I can tell." Sara arched her brows suggestively at how aroused she could tell he was. In the next instant, Nick's lips were softly pressing against hers. The hunger she felt in his kiss just fueled the arousal she'd been feeling since the night before and it didn't take long for the kiss to become more insistent. They were slowly moving towards the bed intent on getting completely carried away when there was a knock at the door.

Nick mumbled against Sara's lips. "Ignore it." He wanted her in the worst way and he could tell from the way she was responding that she felt the same way.

The knock was louder. "Hey, Sara, Grissom's looking for you." Greg Sanders had been more than happy to convey the message from their supervisor, which had really been more of an observation than a request.

Sara let out an irritated groan as she broke off the kiss. "You know he won't go away." If anyone else but Greg had been at the door, she just might have ignored them.

"You could try and get rid of him." Nick suggested rather lamely, knowing full well that she was right; however, his hormones were dictating his thought processes at the moment.

Sara arched a skeptical brow at him. "And what would I tell him...'Greg, please go away because Nick and I are trying to have sex'?"

"Sara, I know you're in there...do you want some company?" Greg sounded far too hopeful. After another moment he called out again. "Grissom made it seem like it was urgent."

Nick grimaced. "I'm gonna have to do something about this." He gave Sara a knowing glance.

Sara looked over at the bathroom. "Well, I guess a man's gotta do what a man's gotta do." If she hadn't been feeling so frustrated, she might have smirked.

Nick huffed out a frustrated sigh. "Well then just tell him that you gave me something for my digestive issues if he wonders why I'm in your bathroom."


	6. Chapter 6

"Grissom." Sara approached the table where her mentor sat eating his lunch. "What did you want?" She looked at him expectantly hoping that he couldn't tell that she was still feeling a little breathless from the hormonal tizzy that she and Nick had worked themselves up into before Greg had proved one of Murphy's Laws oh so well with his interruption.

Grissom quirked an eyebrow at her oddly. "What do I want?" He wasn't really sure what she was talking about, but then again it certainly wouldn't be the first time that Sara had thrown him for a loop.

Sara crossed her arms over her chest hoping that she sounded casual. "Greg said you were looking for me, he said it was important."

Grissom looked slightly confused at where Greg had gotten that impression. "I wasn't looking for you." He pursed his lips together for a moment as he considered if he'd said something aloud to himself that Greg might have overheard. "I merely made an observation that you were gone and I asked him if he'd seen you."

Sara's tone was a bit brusque. "You didn't want to talk to me." Her irritation at Greg was building and she had half a mind to march right back to her room and see if Nick was still up for a nice romp in the sheets instead of lunch.

"Are you feeling ok, Sara?" Grissom noticed that she looked a bit flushed as he studied her over the rim of her glasses.

"No. Actually I'm not." She didn't give Grissom much time to reply as she turned on her heels and headed purposefully back towards her room, hoping that Nick was still there. As she opened the door a bit forcefully, she was met with a startled Nick staring back at her. He had just been walking towards the door to leave when she arrived.

He looked at her frustrated state curiously. "You're back soon." He didn't want to get his hopes up that her return was good news.

"Grissom didn't need to talk to me." Sara was fuming.

"He didn't." Nick wanted to clarify what she was saying.

"Apparently, you and I are going to be killing Greg later." She was only half joking and the tone of her voice was winding up a few notches.

"Not a good idea with this many CSIs around." Nick quipped with a smirk at just how frustrated Sara was about Greg having interrupted them.

"Well just how many more times do you want to get interrupted?" There was a distinct whine in her voice for a moment and then a more determined look took over.

Nick smiled and whispered. "You know what they say, third time's a charm." He stepped towards her and then reached behind her and locked the door.

Sara pushed him away. "We cannot do this now...as much as I want to, I don't even want to try and do this now." She looked at him as if she was waiting for yet another interruption.

"Ok." Nick tried to keep his tone even, given her obvious frustration. He did not want to inadvertently become the target of it. He took a deep breath and quirked an eyebrow. "What's really bothering you?"

Sara nervously nibbled her lower lip. "I feel like we're sneaking around...I thought we said we didn't want this to be a secret." She gestured between them.

"I don't want it to be a secret, Sara, but what do you suggest, walk into the session and give everyone a demonstration?" Nick smirked at her. There just hadn't been a reason to tell anyone as yet that they'd decided to see each other, other than Catherine and Warrick, and a formal announcement seemed out of place.

The idea of them getting it on in front of everyone during one of their sessions caused Sara to snort out a laugh.

"See, we could kill two birds with one stone." Nick had an impish smirk on his face. He was clearly not serious, but his comment had made Sara smile and that's what he'd been trying to do.

"You're impossible." She smirked back at him and then stepped towards him and slid her arms around his neck.

"Maybe." He grinned at her as he slid his arms around her waist. He leaned down and kissed her. He didn't care if they were late to the session; all he cared about right that moment was Sara. The kiss was soft and unhurried, both of them wanting to enjoy the sensation of each others lips.

As they pulled apart, Sara whispered as a smile pulled at her lips. "Do you think anyone would notice if we skipped the next session?"

Nick couldn't help but laugh. "Probably." He leaned in and kissed her again, a bit more insistently and smiled against her mouth as she seemed to melt against him.

Sara murmured against his lips. "We could tell them we were working on some of the teambuilding exercises we've been hearing about..."

Nick was tempted to laugh, but his hormones were already kicking right back into overdrive and so he simply replied by deepening the kiss.

Coherent thought was quickly fleeing Sara's mind at the sensation of Nick's hands gripping her butt through her jeans and the distinct impression that they were moving in the general direction of the bed. Her impression was confirmed as they tumbled onto it still kissing madly.

* * *

Grissom glanced around the meeting room quizzically. The session was set to begin shortly and he was two CSIs short of a team. Seeing Catherine approach he quirked an eyebrow at her. "Have you seen Nick or Sara?" 

Catherine did her best to successfully suppress the smirk that so badly wanted to flit across her face; instead she considered Grissom's question with a casualness that belied her knowledge. "I think they were going to get a head start on the exercises we're supposed to break off into...I don't think either one of them was really feeling up to eating lunch."

Grissom pursed his lips together. "Sara did say she wasn't feeling well." He furrowed his brow. "I certainly hope there isn't a bug going around..." He smirked boyishly as Catherine arched her brows in amusement. "Of the flu variety that is."

"Greg did mention that Nick wasn't feeling very well before lunch either." Catherine knew full well that the pair felt just fine and she had a suspicion that she knew exactly what teambuilding activities they were getting a head start on; something that she and Warrick were going to have to wait until later to work on.

* * *

"How did I keep my hands off of you for almost five years?" Sara was completely breathless as she and Nick lay tangled under the comforter from one of the beds in the room she was sharing with Catherine. 

Nick just lay there smiling from ear to ear. "I don't know; how did you?" He snickered as Sara swatted at him and then began to nibble at his neck.

"There is no way we're going back downstairs anytime soon." Sara's voice was decidedly husky and just as she was starting to return from orbit, she was ready to go for round two.

"I like your line of thinking." Nick rolled them over so that he had her body pinned under his. "This is my kind of retreat." He grinned at her. "It's more like an advance."

He was silenced as Sara pulled him down into a searing kiss and they let themselves get carried away all over again.

_**The End**_

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all my readers; I appreciate the time to you take to read and review. This is going to my last story for a little while. The writing Mojo seems to be on vacation as I'm trying to pack and move and then make that all important decision about an internet service provider. So there may be a one shot here and there when I borrow someone else's connection, but this is the last multi-chapter one for a while.


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